Responses of the bovine teat to machine milking: measurement of changes in thickness of the teat apex

Abstract

SummaryChanges in the teat apex before and after different milking treatments were measured with a spring-loaded caliper device known as a cutimeter which could detect changes in thickness of the tissues of the teat end, presumably due to congestion and/or oedema, with a high degree of accuracy (± 2%) and repeatability (r = 0·99). Teat end thickness increased with increasing vacuum level. The mean increase immediately after milking with a conventional cluster was 2% for 24 teats milked at 30 kPa, 8% at 50 kPa and 21% at 70 kPa. At these vacuum levels, the mean increases for the same teats milked with an unconventional (PKME) teatcup were 10, 18 and 25% respectively. Cyclic application of 35 kPa positive pressure to the pulsation chamber of a conventional teatcup operating at 50 kPa reduced teat end thickness by 8% compared with the mean premilking value. Although most teats returned to within ± 2% of their premilking thickness values by 1 h after milking, differences were apparent between different milking systems for up to 4 h postmilking.